


Change

by theauthor2010



Category: Glee
Genre: Gay Bashing, Gen, Homophobia, M/M, Redemption, Violence.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-25
Updated: 2011-04-25
Packaged: 2017-10-18 16:12:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/190723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthor2010/pseuds/theauthor2010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prom night leads to confessions and changes but nothing ever really changes as three young men are viciously gaybashed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change

Burt Hummel is the first parent to arrive on the scene at Lima General Hospital. “Where the hell is my son?” he snaps, his voice breaking through the terrified chatter. He locates Kurt’s friends quickly; they’re all standing in a circle near the back of the waiting room. He moves swiftly to approach them but he is immediately cut off by Will Schuester instead. The glee club instructor grabs him by the arm and pulls him into a tight hug. He hugs back, although he has no idea what the hell is going on.

 

“Burt, I am so very sorry,” the man says sincerely. He looks as though he has been crying but is trying to hide it from the students. “None of the chaperones saw the attack coming. We didn’t know what to do. We got there when Santana informed us of what was going on and called the cops immediately. They’re looking for you at the reception desk. They won’t tell any of us what’s going on.”

 

Burt shoves Schuester out of the way and rushes to the front desk. It’s then that he realizes something is _very_ wrong and Kurt is not alright by any means. “My son Kurt was brought here from his prom. I _need_ to know what the hell’s going on now.”

 

“Wait here while I get Nurse Johnson or the doctor for you.”

 

Burt waits, turning around. His heart is thumping hard in his throat and he can barely hear a thing but at the same time he hears Kurt’s friends talking. “I never realized how bad the bullying was,” the tiny brunette says, wrapping her arms around herself and crying loudly. “I mean I knew that Karofsky was messing with him but I never realized how unbelievably cruel the other boys could be. I don’t know what we can do.”

 

“We can’t do anything,” says a blonde boy, shaking his head. He looks confused, out of place and terrified. “We just have to sit here and hope that it’ll all be okay. Kurt’s strong, so are Blaine and Dave.”

 

“I can’t believe after he finally told Kurt everything that Dave would get hurt like this,” whispers another girl. “It’s like, uh, he finally gets the courage and then everything goes bad.”

 

He quickly makes the decision to walk up to them and find out what the hell is going on. He has to do something while that damned nurse takes a lifetime. “What happened?” he asks. “What happened to my son?”

 

The girl who had spoken last looks at him seriously. He recognizes her from his wedding but can’t remember her name. She takes a step towards him and shakes her head. Her mascara is running and her hair is a mess.  She looks terrified and can’t stop crying. “Mr. Hummel,” she says softly. “I was Dave Karofsky’s date. He…he and Kurt were named Prom Queen and King tonight. It was pretty obvious that it was a horrible joke. Dave was furious and freaked out but I knew he was trying to change and he…he just got fed up with being a bad guy, you know?”

 

The girl sniffles, just as Kurt’s friend Brittany comes up behind her and holds her by the waist. She leans back against the blonde and tries to explain while she breathes in and out desperately. “He took the crown from Figgins and gave it to Kurt. He made a sp-speech.” The girl is lost to tears and starts crying, sobbing hysterically. She looks over at Brittany, practically begging the other girl to explain for her.

 

Brittany looks at Burt and she’s crying too but far more composed. She tells him quietly: “Karofsky said, ‘I'm an asshole and I’m tired of it. I know everyone's expecting me to be a douche about this, but I won't. Here's the truth. I have made this kid’s life a living hell since elementary school. Here's the reason he even transferred out of McKinley in the first place: About two months ago, I stole his first kiss because I liked him, and yes, I'm gay. Then I denied it, stalked him and threatened his life out of fear; I had this horrible fear he’d tell everyone.”

 

The small brunette, Rachel, he thinks, walks up to Brittany’s side and nods. All of the kids seem surprised by the young woman’s near photographic recollection of the night and Rachel is no exception. “He told everyone everything horrible he did to Kurt,” she says softly. “Then he walked right up to Kurt and Blaine and apologized for everything he did to them. He gave Blaine the crown he was supposed to take and it was wonderful…”

 

Burt is not okay with the recollection of the children. It’s wonderful and all but Kurt’s in the hospital.

 

“What the hell happened afterward?” he snaps at the kids.

 

“Blaine and Kurt went outside to talk to Dave about everything he said. Then…we don’t know. Santana…”

  
The sobbing girl speaks up again. “I found them all…all bloody and unconscious. Some of the boys saw Cooper and the other hockey jackasses take off. They did this.”

 

“Excuse me, Burt Hummel?”

 

He turns around and finds a woman in a white coat. She looks at Burt and then shakes his hand. She is somber, her expression grave. “I’m Nancy Johnson. Your son is currently in surgery. He sustained heavy brain injury from the attack.  We’re doing all we can for him and if you’ll follow me I can get you more information on his current condition.”

 

Burt follows blindly, her words echoing in his head. Brain injury. Oh god Kurt.

 

When he reaches the room he is being lead to, another man comes bursting in behind him. He recognizes him even before he introduces himself to the woman and the man she has just led Burt to.  “I’m Paul Karofsky,” the man says, staring the nurse and the man she has brought Burt to in the eye. “My son was brought here. What happened?”

 

The man who is in the room is obviously one of the doctors on staff and speaks very calmly.

 

“The three boys who were brought in here an hour ago were badly beaten,” he says simply, as if he’s not telling both men their son’s are in dire condition. “Kurt Hummel is currently in surgery with severe swelling of the brain and his injuries are extensive. The young man identified as David Karofsky is stable but is comatose as far as we know. We are doing our best. Mr. Karofsky, you can see your son. Nancy, take him there.”

 

Burt stands awkwardly as Paul runs off to the other side of the hospital after the nurse, ignoring his existence. He stares at the doctor and falls apart because god, it’s Kurt. He can’t lose Kurt. He panics but tries to steady his rapidly beating heart.

 

Paul doesn’t understand what’s going on. One minute, Dave is telling him how excited he is for prom and sounding more like the son that he remembers than ever and now his son is in the hospital and _comatose_. “How could this have happened to him?” he asks the woman, shaking his head in confusion. “How could this happen to my son?”

 

“It was a hate crime and the police are going to do everything to get the attackers,” the nurse assures him softly. “The police are currently talking to the Anderson boy.”

 

Paul sees his son and absolutely breaks down. Dave is lying in the hospital bed hooked up to God knows how many wires. His eyes were closed, one of them being completely swollen shut. He has some kind of gear around his head and his leg is extended in front of him, probably broken. His son has always been a strong, almost menacing figure but he looks positively weak. There is blood leaking from the bandage around his head and he has stitches in his lower lip. It’s obvious he’s been beaten severely.

"Oh god David," says said softly, hurrying to the boy's side and grabbing his hand slowly, as not to jostle the IV.

  
He turns his head and looks toward the monitors at Dave's side. They are steadily moving with the boy's heartbeat but honestly his son looks as though he's on death's doorstep. He holds his hand a little tighter and finds himself praying although he's never been a religious man.

 

"David...how could this happen?" he asks, using his free hand to touch his boy on the face.

He sits with his son in terrified silence, begging God not to take David. Paul knows he's not the best father in the world but since his wife had died he had done everything for Dave. His son was his whole wide world although sometimes it seemed like Paul's world was his job. "C'mon bud," he said using the pet name he hadn't since Dave was seven.

"Paul."

A tear-filled but blank voice breaks through his desperation. Burt Hummel is standing in the room with him. "Kids gave me some info on what happened tonight and I felt I had to share it with you."

"What happened?" he finds the breath to ask.

Burt puts a hand on his shoulder and stares at Dave.

 

"The kids said our boys got elected Prom King and Queen as a prank," he says. "Your son, he, he used the moment to apologizes to Kurt for the bullying. He confessed to kissing him and harassing him, having feelings for him. From what I get all three of the boys were caught in a...a hate-crime, an attack, outside. I...I just wanted you to know Paul. Our boys are gonna be okay; they have to, they're made of tough stuff."

Paul pushes Burt away.

 

"Don't paint my kid as gay," he snaps, not out of hate or homophobia but of panic. "Your kid may have been attacked from some hate crime but not mine. Not my boy. Dave is so strong and has always been capable of taking care of himself. He wouldn't be hurt like that. He’s not gay. If he was gay he woulda told me. He woulda told his father he was feeling that way.”

"Look at your boy Paul. He'll be ok. So will Kurt. We gotta have faith."

"He's all I have," Paul breathes, facade shattering. "His mom is gone. He's all I have."

"Kurt's all I have too."

The men hug, unable to do anything but take comfort in each other. Paul cries for the first time in years and Burt begs the memory of his beloved wife for strength. After awhile of just taking comfort in each other in the midst of the horrible situation, Paul asks, "Did the kids tell you what David said?"

"They just said that he apologized for all he had done and then gave the crown and the night to Kurt and his boyfriend Blaine."

Paul turns and looks at his son, realizing the things that a good father would have realized months and months ago. "I should have realized he was hurting," Paul whispers. "When I saw his grades slipping and his anger issues growing I should have done something. He was hiding it, wasn't he? Oh my god. If I never get to tell him how sorry I am for not knowing. He was feeling it. He didn’t tell me. I didn’t see."

"Do not think that way," Burt says firmly.

A young woman in scrubs walks into the room. "Um, the police are in the middle of questioning a young man and want you two to be there because your sons were involved in the attack."

Burt moves to follow. Paul kisses his son's hand and follows as well. They are lead into a hospital room where Kurt's young boyfriend lays, trying to talk to the people around him. He's obviously badly hurt. "I don't know...Mr. Hummel? Where's Kurt?" The monitors around Blaine spike and he tries but fails to sit up.

"Blaine I..."

"They won't tell me!" Blaine wails.

"He's in surgery," Burt manages.

Blaine closes his eyes, tears slipping past. He doesn’t seem to be completely coherent but the choked sobs of pain are _real._

"Alright Mr. Anderson, tell us one more time then you can let the meds kick in and sleep."

Blaine speaks in an oddly calm voice. "Karofsky... I mean Dave...he apologized so beautifully for all he put Kurt through. He came out to all those kids. He...he said Kurt and I were real love and gave us our dance..." He cries but looks blank.

"He's too drugged to give testimony," one officer mumbles.

"He can at least give us a lead."

Blaine pauses and looks at Paul. "Are you Dave's dad?" he asks.

"I am son."

"You should be proud. He was brave. So, Kurt and I had a beautiful, beautiful night and I think Dave did too. We wanted to talk to him. Oh god is he alive?" Blaine wails, unhinged. The nurse lunges forward to help.

"He's alive, kid," Paul says, crying unashamedly.

"I want Kurt," Blaine sobs, the drugs kicking in. The doctors usher the police out. "I need Kurt...please..."

Burt delicately touches Blaine's hand. "It’s gonna be okay Blaine. I swear."

"They kept telling Kurt he 'turned Karofsky gay,' then they hit him," Blaine wailed softly. "Dave, he, he like protected me. He put himself in front of me then tried to pull them off Kurt. I can't even describe it...he said...I'm gay. I was born gay, deal with it..."

Blaine choked.

"Sleep son," Paul murmured. "David and Kurt are strong. It'll work out. It’ll be alright.”

“It has to be.”

Blaine closed his eyes, nodding a little bit as he did.


End file.
